When a Hawk meets a Falcon
by DragonessTiger
Summary: Aerrow meets Solra of the Fire Falcons, the 2nd youngest Sky Knight in the Atmos! But when the two teens find themselves up against an unknown enemy, they will discover a secret about they're families that will change they're lives forever.
1. Phoenix Attack

Storm Hawks: When a Hawk meets a Falcon

When a Hawk meets a Falcon Part 1: Phoenix Attack

Aerrow struggled to keep his balance as the _Condor_ steered out of control. Lose pipes, pieces of metal and crates showered all around him, and the sounds of his friends screams filled his ears, but in the midst of all this chaos he tried to remain calm. "Stork, take us under the clouds," he ordered. "We should be safe there!"

Struggling to steer the _Condor_, Stork growled, "Safe! No place is safe around here!"

Another violent blow shook the carrier. Aerrow quickly grabbed hold of one of the _Condor's_ many pipes as he was thrown back. "Just hurry up and get us outta here!" He yelled, beginning to lose his patients.

"Well, excuse me!" Stork snapped back. He turned the controls, heaving the _Condor_ to the right and causing the others to slide across the floor. "It wasn't my decision to come to this infernal place!" The piolet glanced over his shoulder, looking at Aerrow with an accusing eye.

Aerrow narrowed his eyes at the Merb. It wasn't his fault they were in this mess. They had received a distress call from the Sky Knight squadron of this quadrant. Unfortunately, things hadn't gone according to plan. The moment that they had entered the area, they had been taken by surprise and were now under attack. They had tried to reach they're skimmers to fight back, but a blast had short-circuited the mechanism for the doors and now they were trapped on the bridge. They had come here to help, but now it seemed that they were the ones who needed help.

"In case you've forgotten we were called here, Stork." Aerrow reminded the helmsman. "The squadron here asked for our help and that's what we came to do!"

As the _Condor_ jerked again, Finn and Junko slid across the metal floor. The two friends slammed against the window, Junko landing on top of poor Finn. The sharpshooter grunted under the mechanic's weight.

"But this is they're quadrant, not ours!" Junko stated. A pipe fell from the roof and thumped the large Wallop on the head. "What do they need our help for?" He asked, rubbing his now throbbing head.

"They need our help to protect the terras." Finn wheezed, struggling out from under the Wallop.

Junko looked puzzled, "From what?"

"From something like," Finn pointed out of the window, his eyes wide with fear, "THAT!"

Aerrow followed his gaze as a large, glowing creature approached the ship, a Phoenix. The huge bird hovered before the _Condor_, it's constantly aflame wings burning brightly. Aerrow could feel the heat of its fire through the windows as it filled the bridge with a glowing, yellow light. He winced as it screeched angrily, its call piercing his ears.

From her place at the table, Piper stared at the creature as it glared at them with its glowing, sharp eyes. She would have found it to quite a beautiful animal had she not been so terrified. The fire-bird threw its head back and screeched again, angrily blasting flames into the air.

The navigator gazed over her maps, looking out the terra they were approaching. Terra Fonnix – a terra shared by both humans and Phoenixes. However, Piper was confused. Phoenixes had lived on this area with the human population for years and there had never been any rifts between them. Why were they attacking?

"This doesn't make any sense." Piper looked over at her commanding officer. "The Phoenixes here have never attacked before. They've always let ships pass through this quadrant."

"Yeah, well, why don't ya tell that to them!" Finn screamed as another Phoenix joined the first.

Stork did his best to keep his beloved _Condor_ out of harms way as the two giant fire-birds swooped in for an attack. Dodging left and right, he managed to avoid the first Phoenix, but the second caught him off guard as it dived from above and screeched, flames erupting from its beak. The blast hit the side of the _Condor_, scorching it's metal to a charcoal black and knocking it off balance again.

The blast surprised the young squadron, except Aerrow as he had managed to keep a hold on the pipe. He watched as Junko and Finn, who had just managed to stand up, were flung across the floor again. Finn had the wind knocked out of him as he crashed into the railing while Junko's already bruised head slammed into the timepulse. Aerrow winced. The boys sure were having a hard time.

Radarr was flung into the air and slammed against the wall, he slid down and landed in the empty sandcake jar, lid landing on top. Eyes rolling in their sockets, Radarr poked his head out of the jar with the lid on his head, looking like a drunk china-man. Aerrow would have found it rather amusing had the situation been different.

Piper was clinging to the table for dear life, but as another blast shook the ship she lost her grip and fell backwards with a scream. Thinking quickly, Aerrow reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her towards him. "I've got you, Piper." he said. "Just hold on tight."

The blue-haired girl just stared up into his emerald eyes, quite surprised to be in the arms of her commanding officer. Aerrow was looking down at her with concerned eyes. However, he quickly looked away, but she could swear that she saw a shade of pink on his cheeks. Piper was pretty sure that her face was the same colour as his hair as she felt her cheeks grow warm.

Another blast brought the two back to reality. Everyone looked up as the first Phoenix hovered a short distance away from the _Condor_. It leered at them with its glowing yellow eyes, throwing its head back and screeching once again. The young friends shrunk back in fear.

The _Condor's_ bulk shook again, but this time it wasn't a fire blast. The other Phoenix had flew up to the airship and was now attacking it with its claws. The Storm Hawks screamed as one Phoenix's talons burst through the metal at the side of the ship and then the other.

Stork spun around to assess the damage. Both Phoenixes long, curved talons had pierced through the metal of the ship's bulk. He snorted as his nose was suffocated with the smell of burning metal. The mangled metal was starting to turn red from the phoenixes flames. The Phoenixes then began to shake the _Condor_, as if they were playing a game of tug-of-war.

"My ship! My ship!" Stork cried, horrified that his beloved ship was being torn apart.

"Let's stay cool." Aerrow said, trying to remain clam although his heart was pounding with fear. He gripped the pipe tighter while holding Piper closer, not wanting to injure either of them as more things fell around the ship. He felt Radarr jump onto his back and clutch his shoulders.

Finn, now clutching the railing, flashed his leader a dumbfounded look, "Stay cool? Dude, how can we stay cool when two giant fire-breathing chickens are trying to tare us to shreds!"

Radarr churred in agreement.

Aerrow grimaced, _Okay, maybe that wasn't the best choice of words._

Junko, who had regained his footing, stumbled next to Finn's side. "You want me to get them off?" He asked, narrowing his silver eyes and igniting one of his Knuckle Busters.

Aerrow stared at the powerful Wallop, admiring his courage. But a stunt like that would be suicide. Despite how brave or strong Junko was, Aerrow knew that he would be no match for one Phoenix let alone two. "No, Junko," he shook his head firmly. "You'd be burnt to a crisp!"

"Aerrow's right," Piper stated, her arms encircled around Aerrow's neck. "Muscle's no match against fire."

The mighty Wallop understood, dis-igniting his weapon.

Stork, however, was desperate to get the Phoenixes away. "Well, somebody better think of something!" He glanced at the talons in the wall, ears pricking up at the sound of straining metal. The _Condor_ wouldn't be able to take much more of this. "Either we get rid of the Phoenixes or we lose the _Condor_!"

"What about the cannons?" Finn piped up, a hint of anxiety in his voice. "Can't we just blast em' off?"

Piper was horrified at that suggestion, "No!" She knew that the people of this terra had a great respect for the birds. If they attacked, they would see it as ill will and the consequences would be server. "The Phoenixes are sacred here!" she said. "If we attack them then the people here will make sure that we get a welcome that's even worse than the birds are giving us!"

The guys stared at her, horrified by this news. Fear began to set in as the Storm Hawks realized just how tight a spot they were now in. If they didn't fight back they would be killed in the air and if they did then they would be killed on the ground. Either way, they were the losers.

Finn was hysterical with fear. "So now what?" he cried, eyes wide. "We have to choose between being roasted or falling into the Wastelands!"

Stork placed his hands on his head, eye twitching. Oh, yeah. This was it. This time they were definitely going to die. "Well, that it then!" Stork cried, throwing his hands up in despair. "Just serve us up with a side of fries cause we're Phoenix feed! We're all doomed!"

Still holding onto Aerrow, Piper could see that the guys were beginning to lose faith, especially Finn and Stork. Not that she could blame them, she was scared too, but she couldn't let them give up hope. "Come on," she giggled light-heartedly. "It could be worse."

The guys just gave her an 'oh really' look. As far as they were concerned, things were as bad as they possibly could get.

"Yeah?" Finn frowned, raising an eyebrow. "How?"

Before anyone could answer, a bright yellow glow enveloped the bridge. Turning slowly, the Storm Hawks gazed out of the windows to see another Phoenix had joined the first two. None of them could hold back a gasp or gulp or (in Radarr's case) a whimper of fright. It was the largest Phoenix that any of them had ever seen. It was probably two sizes bigger than a Cyclonian Battle Cruiser. Its flames were as bright as the sun and, judging by the heatwave that now bombarded the ship, just as hot.

Stork glared at the sharpshooter, eye twitching, "You had to ask."

Aerrow gazed open mouthed at the huge creature. He could feel his eyes beginning to water as the heat from the Phoenix's flames engulfed the ship and penetrated his uniform. The light from its blazing-body was so bright, it was like staring into the sun. This Phoenix was not only bigger than any of the Phoenixes he had encountered at Terra Rex or the Coronal's Terra, but it was also stronger.

Staring at it, Aerrow also noticed that there was something different about this Phoenix, despite its huge size and immense power. It had longer tail feathers, more head feathers and its wings weren't just glowing with fire, they glittered with all the colours of the rainbow. As it leered at them with its large, sharp eyes, Aerrow was surprised that they were a deep sapphire-blue rather than golden-yellow like all other Phoenixes had.

The great Phoenix suddenly threw its head back, blasting flames from its beak and wings. The heat from its fire caused an inferno in the air and turned the sky red. It screeched threateningly. Aerrow winced and his heart froze, he had never heard so much anger in a creature's voice before.

An uneasy feeling made the hairs on the back of Aerrow's neck stand upright. He wondered why things suddenly seemed so eerie. Glancing at the talons in the walls, it wasn't until then that he realized that the first two Phoenixes had stopped shaking the _Condor_. All three birds were suddenly silent. Aerrow's unease grew. He knew something was wrong and he could see that the others sensed it too as they stood still and watched the giant Phoenix.

Aerrow could feel Radarr shaking against his neck and he heard Piper whisper, "What's happening?" But Aerrow had no answer.

The young Sky Knight watched as the giant Phoenix hovered before them. It slowly stretched out its glittering wings. He stared as the flames around them began to flicker and grow. The blaze grew bigger and brighter, lighting up the sky. _What on earth is it doing?_, Aerrow wondered.

Aerrow looked from it to the other two Phoenixes talons. As he turned back, he saw the great Phoenix leer at them with its striking-blue eyes, its gaze directed at them. He coward under its sharp gaze. It was as if it was trying to pierce into his soul. At seeing such hatred in its eyes, that was the moment that Aerrow understood what was going on.

He looked at the talons in the wall, holding the _Condor_ in place. He watched the giant Phoenixes flames grow, igniting its fire powers. He gazed into its deep blue eyes, glaring at them with anger and hatred.

Aerrow's eyes widened with fear, "It's gonna blast us!"

The others gasped. Everyone looked up at the great Phoenix, eyes wide with fear. Wings ablaze and eyes fixed upon the _Condor_, it opened its beak to reveal a deep orange glow, flaming breath ready. The young Storm Hawks knew that there was no stopping this Phoenix. Although frozen from fear, they couldn't help but feel as if this was a slight case of deja vu.

All of them remembered the day that they had once come close to death. If it hadn't been for they're parents then they would have been killed. And now they found themselves in a similar situation. They were trapped and weaponless. There was no way to escape, they couldn't fight back and this time there was no one to save them.

The Phoenix straightened its back and pulled its head back as if it were drawing in a breath. The glow within its beak intensified. It was about to strike.

Aerrow held Piper closer as she hugged him tighter. Radarr whimpered, his grip on Aerrow's shoulders tightened. The others ran up to them, Finn grabbing onto Aerrow and Stork clutching onto Piper while Junko came behind them, placing his large arms around each of them.

Although his stomach was tight with fear, Aerrow felt comfort knowing that his friends were close. _"Well, if we go then we go together."_ he thought. Watching the Phoenix, Aerrow saw something suddenly fly right in front of its line of fire. A skimmer! The Sky Knight had to wonder if the driver was mad flying right towards an enraged Phoenix.

"What's that?" Junko asked.

"What's that?" Finn said. "You mean, who's that?"

Aerrow noticed that he or she had a Crystal Blaster upon their shoulder. He watched watched as the rider fired something into the air.

"Okay, then what was that?" the Wallop asked again.

Before anyone could answer him, whatever it was suddenly exploded in a bright flash of light. The Phoenixes screeched as the flash blinded them and the Storm Hawks had to shield they're eyes from it. They watched as the once flaming sky suddenly became black with storm clouds. All three Phoenixes screeched in fear. The giant Phoenix flew off into the lower clouds of the Wastelands while the smaller fire-birds released the _Condor_ and followed the first.

Finn's eyes darted around, trying to figure out what was happening. "What's goin' on?" he asked.

Piper's eyes grew wide with wonder, the way they usually would when she discovered something. "It's a Drizzle Crystal!" she gasped. The windows of the _Condor_ were suddenly drenched with a hard rain storm. "But it's much more advanced than any Drizzle Crystal I've ever seen! It's amazing!"

Aerrow, however, wasn't interested in the crystal, he was more curious about the person who had saved them. His emerald eyes quickly spotted the aircraft within the rain. He watched as the skimmer headed for the terra. They needed to follow.

"Stork, follow that skimmer!" he ordered.

The Merb was only too happy to get back behind the wheel. As swift as an eagle flies, Stork quickly steered the _Condor_ after the unknown skimmer, although the ride was a little bumpy due to the holes in the walls. The skimmer flew towards the terra, flying over the large, curved stone structures on the landscape's territory. It then circled around one of the structures.

Stork got the message. Expertly pioleting the great airship under the stone formation, he cut the engines and deployed the clamps. The metal hooks shot into the stone and held firmly, allowing the Condor to rest. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe.

For now...


	2. Solra and Feroxx

Storm Hawks: When a Hawk meets a Falcon

When a Hawk meets a Falcon Part 1: Solra and Feroxx

Stork, now exhausted and over-stressed from the events, fell back in a dead faint. Jumping from Aerrow's shoulders, Radarr ran up to catch his friend, but only succeeded in getting himself crushed under the Merb's weight.

Stork hardly noticed as he was dazed by all the excitement, "Oh, that was a close call."

"Too close." Finn agreed, standing over the two with an amused expression.

Radarr just whimpered.

Aerrow and Piper chuckled as Finn helped the helmsman to his feet, pulling him off of a now squashed pile of fur. They shook they're heads and looked at each other. It wasn't until then they noticed that Piper still had her arms around Aerrow's neck while he had his around Piper's waist. Quickly letting go of each other, they giggled nervously while Aerrow scratched the back of his neck and Piper rubbed her right arm, both blushing furiously.

Luckily for them, none of the others seemed to notice. Stork was leaning against the controls while rubbing his aching temples and Finn was helping a bruised Radarr to his paws.

Junko, meanwhile, was at the back examining the damage done by the Phoenixes claws. The metal had been ripped apart as if it were made of paper, and it was charred and burned due to the birds fire. Smashing his fists together, he ignited his Knuckle Busters, and punched and thrashed the metal back into place with a mighty Wallop roar. He repeated this on the other side until both holes were nothing more than a tiny visible crack that just had to be nailed together.

"Why did the Phoenixes attack us?" he asked. "We didn't do anything to them." Junko knew as well as anyone else that Phoenixes only attacked when provoked. The gentle Wallop had to wonder why the birds had attacked for no reason.

"I don't know." Piper answered. She picked up her maps and charts that had been thrown to the floor. "Phoenixes have lived around this area with people for years and they've never attacked before."

Aerrow thought back to the message he had gotten from the Helmsmen of Terra Fonnix. He had said that they were in great peril and that they needed the aid of another squadron. '_They weren't kidding.'_ he thought.

The young Sky Knight's ears perked up as he heard the sound of an engine. Looking out the window, he saw the mysterious skimmer as it flew by again. It wasn't until then that he noticed the insignia on the wings of the skimmer. A red falcon rising into the air. He gasped, finally realizing who they're mysterious savor was, "It's the Sky Knight of the Fire Falcons!"

"The Fire Falcons!" the others echoed.

Everyone in the entire Atoms knew of the Fire Falcons. They were a highly esteemed and respected squadron who not only protected their own quadrant, but would also venture out to help others. They're tales of courage and honor were almost as legendary as the Storm Hawks themselves.

Finn's entire body shook with excitement. He was a huge fan of the Fire Falcons, knowing nearly ever nerdy detail about them and their missions. Now he finally had a chance to meet the Sky Knight of his favorite heroes. It was almost too good to be true.

"Come on," he urged, eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Let's go meet em'."

Stork was skeptical, "Um, how exactly?" He pointed his thumb at the automatic doors behind him, which were setting off a few sparks. "If you remember, we're kinda stuck up here."

Everyone was a little chest fallen with that news, expect Aerrow. As if he had never heard Stork's words, the young Sky Knight ran outside the bridge to the balcony. The others jaws nearly dropped as he swung over the railings and onto the roof above the hanger bay. Rushing outside, they watched as he walked the short distance down the sloped roof and jumped down onto the runway, landing swiftly on his feet.

Aerrow turned to them, expecting them to follow. "Well," he asked. "Are you guys just gonna stand there all day or are you comin' down?"

The others just stared at him opened-mouthed. They're commanding officer stood there, acting as if his little stunt had meant nothing.

Finn shook his head, "Dude, you could fall into a lake and still come out dry."

Swinging her legs over the railings, Piper strode up to the edge of the roof. She frowned at her childhood friend with her hands placed on her hips, "Aerrow Hawkbane, I swear that one of these days you're cat-like stunts are gonna land you in a hole that even you can't dig out of."

Aerrow cringed. Piper only ever called him by his family name whenever he did something that she didn't approve of. He shrugged it off, grinning sheepishly.

"What's with the cat-like talk?" Finn asked, walking up behind Piper. "Aerrow's a Storm _Hawk_ not a Storm Cat." He winked at his leader. "Don't ever compare my bro to a mangy, flea-bitten cat. He's as brave, smart and swift as a hawk." The blonde stood straight and tall with a hand on his hip and a fist over his heart, showing that he was very proud of that.

Aerrow blushed. He always felt embarrassed whenever Finn bragged about his abilities or that he was his brother. Well, foster brother to be exact. Aerrow's parents had adopted Finn when they were young. But even if they had been real brothers, the two couldn't be closer, despite how different they were.

Piper rolled her eyes at the sharpshooter, "Yeah, but he always seems to think that he's always gonna land on his feet like a cat."

Radarr scampered up next to Piper, coping her posture while shaking his head at Aerrow, growling softly. He couldn't agree more. Sometimes his boy was just a little too reckless for his own good.

"Hey, it's me, guys." Aerrow said, trying to make them lighten up. "I always find a way." He gave them a questioning look. "Or have you forgotten that I'm the last descendant of the Storm Hawks? Son of Lighting Strike and Lani." He teased. "They're blood flows through my veins-"

"Meaning that you're as honest, caring and kind as you're mother." Finn grinned while sharing a look with Piper.

"And as reckless, wild and fearless as you're father." Piper shared Finn's grin. "Yeah, I'd say that fits the bill."

Aerrow did what he always did. Gave a cocky lopsided smile while his eyes glowed with mischief, "Can't mess with the best."

"Like father, like son." Stork said to Junko as the large Wallop chuckled.

Piper shook her head, staring at the red head affectionately. Sometimes Aerrow could just be impossible, but she wouldn't have him any other way.

Finn nudged her arm. "You forgot to mention handsome," he counted down one finger. "Dashing," another finger. "And charming." He counted his last finger, wriggling his eyebrows at the blue-haired girl.

Blushing furiously, Piper glared at the blonde and slapped him on the shoulder. "When I want you're opinion Finn, I'll ask for it." She jumped down beside a Sky Knight who's face was almost as red as his hair. Looking at him, Piper did have to admit that he was kind of cute when he blushed.

As the others jumped down to join them, Radarr scampered behind Aerrow, looking up at something.

Aerrow noticed his co-piolet's actions, "What is it, Radarr?"

Radarr churred and pointed to the sky.

At first Aerrow feared that it may be another Phoenix, but the creature that flew down towards the Condor's runway was much smaller and hardly threatening. It glided down on the landing strip, landing on all fours and folding the loose flaps of skin between its arms and legs. The creature stood upon its fox-like hind legs, standing at about the same height of a lemur. It dusted its sandy-yellow and white fur with its bare front paws, swishing its tail from side to side – which was twice as long as its body.

As it turned towards them, Aerrow noticed that it had golden markings upon its face and ears. It twitched its large fox-like ears and tilted its head to one side, staring up at them with its amethyst-purple eyes which matched the purple on its ring-patterned tail.

"What is that?" Finn asked. Aerrow noticed with some amusement that Finn was giving the little creature the same disgruntled look he had given Radarr when they had first met.

Piper identified the little creature, "It's a Sky Fox!" Her golden-orange eyes were wide with wonder. "I've read about them. They live deep in the jungles of Terra Amazonia."

"Never heard of em'." Finn said.

"That's because they're really rare." Piper informed him. "And because you never read." She teased, folding her arms as her eyes beamed with mischief, making the blonde glare at her.

Still gazing at they're new visitor, it was obvious to Aerrow that the Sky Fox had come with the Fire Falcons Sky Knight. Much like Radarr wore the armour of his squadron, this little critter also wore a uniform. The Sky Fox was wearing piolet goggles, orange wristbands with matching ones around its ankles and three spiked collars around its tail. There was a large backpack which was clipped around its neck by a large silver medallion with the Fire Falcons insignia on it.

The Sky Fox looked at each of them, studying them carefully, until its gaze fell upon Radarr. Letting out a curious squeak, it ran up to him on all fours. Standing before him, it raised itself upon its hind legs again, staring at him with its large, round eyes. Giving a tiny yip, the Sky Fox cocked its ears and raised its tail.

Having raised Radarr since he was a pup, Aerrow had learned what these simple little gestures meant. The Sky Fox's raised ears and tail meant that it was curious.

Churring, Radarr raised his own ears and tail to show that he was alert.

The Sky Fox took a step towards Radarr, making the blue creature step back and droop his ears and tail, showing his unease. It placed a paw on his chest, stretching its soft pink nose towards Radarr's large black nose and gave him a curious sniff.

Aerrow watched anxiously. Radarr didn't usually get along with other animals and could become rather aggressive if they got too close. He was afraid that the two creatures could end up attacking each other. But neither animal bit or scratched at each other.

The Sky Fox began to wag its tail and gave Radarr a friendly lick upon his nose. With a delighted chirp, Radarr licked the Sky Fox's cheek.

Sighing with relief, Aerrow watched as the two animals nuzzled and sniffed each other in a friendly manner. He smiled, it wasn't often that Radarr made friends with another animal. It was a rather cute sight. It seemed that everyone else thought so too. At his side, Piper giggled and clasped her hands together, a smile gracing her lips. Finn raised an eyebrow, smiling with amusement. Stork kept his distance, probably thinking that the Sky Fox had mindworms or something, but a small smile was present on his face.

Junko thought the sight was absolutely adorable. "Aww!" he gushed, clasping his large hands together. "Hey there, cutey!" Bending slightly, he reached out a hand to gently stroke the Sky Fox's ears. The little critter's tail wagged like mad with pleasure as it purred and gazed up at Junko with its large eyes.

This took Aerrow quite by surprise. Most other animals would be intimidated by Junko, but the little Sky Fox wasn't the least bit afraid of the mighty Wallop. It didn't fear his great size or strength as it allowed him to stroke its ears.

The red head knelt down so that he was now eye to eye level with the creature. The small critter moved towards him, staring at him with large curious eyes. It wasn't until then that he notice a long thin scar running down from the Sky Fox's left shoulder to its upper back. This creature had obviously faced danger before.

Smiling, Aerrow reached out a hand and scratched the Sky Fox under its chin, "Well, aren't you a brave little warrior."

With a squeak, the little Sky Fox suddenly jumped up and scrambled up onto Aerrow's right shoulder. As he stood up, it purred and nuzzled him, causing the young teen to chuckle as it sniffed at his ear, tickling him. "Hey, that tickles!"

Piper gazed affectionately at her leader and the Sky Fox. Aerrow had always had a gift with animals. It was as if they could sense the kindness within his heart and seeing how quickly this little creature took to him made that even more evident.

"Looks like you've made a friend, Aerrow." Piper patted the Sky Fox's head, making it nuzzle against her hand.

Radarr, feeling a little jealous, jumped up onto Aerrow's other shoulder, nuzzling and churring softly against him.

Aerrow smiled at his little friend's attention-seeking. He scratched his ears, "Don't worry, Radarr. You'll always be my number one co-piolet." He laughed as the two creatures continued to nuzzle and tickle him.

The rumbling of an engine made everyone look up as a gold and red skimmer descended upon the runway of the Condor. The driver drove down the runway towards them, turning the ride to bring it to a screeching halt a few feet away from them.

The little Sky Fox barked happily, leaping from Aerrow's shoulder to Piper's then jumping down and scampering up to the Sky Knight. It leaped onto its Sky Knight's shoulder as the warrior lowered the shoulder cannon, hiding it within a part of the skimmer.

Aerrow watched as the Sky Knight dismounted the ride. He couldn't see the rider's face as the Sky Knight's hair hid they're face and had they're back turned towards them, but he did know that the Fire Falcon's were led by a female Sky Knight.

He did, however, notice the red, orange and blue uniform that the Sky Knight was wearing, typical colours of the Fire Falcons, and the twin Axe Blades attached to her armour upon her back. Like Aerrow's armour, it was silver and upon the right shoulder plate was the squadron's insignia, the red falcon rising.

As the Sky Knight dusted off, Aerrow stepped forward to introduce himself, "Hi," he stated. "You must be the Sky Knight of the Fire Falcons," he stretched out a hand in greeting. "It's a real honor to meet y-"

Aerrow's last words were silenced as the Sky Knight turned. He heard Radarr squawk and the others gasp behind him. His arm fell to his side as he stood there, staring wide eyed and open mouthed at the Sky Knight, who returned his look.

There weren't many things that could leave Aerrow speechless, but this had certainly taken the biscuit. Being a Sky Knight, Aerrow always stayed on top of news that involved other squadrons. He had heard that the Fire Falcon's Sky Knight was a young female who had recently taken up position after completing her training. But he had never expected her to be _this_ young! Why, she couldn't be much older than himself!

But what struck Aerrow the most was the fact that she looked almost exactly like _him!_ Her shoulder-length hair was the same fiery-red colour as his own. She was the same height as Piper, slim and lean with pale, but fair skin. Same in build too, long-legged with slender arms. However, unlike Aerrow, her eyes were a deep cobalt blue.

He stared at her and noticed the three scars across the right side of her young face. They were old scars, but all of them looked deep. The first slit across her cheek and the third was sliced just over her brow, but the second one seemed to be the worst as it cut right across her eye. Aerrow had to wonder how she hadn't lost her sight.

Still staring, Aerrow noticed something shinning around her neck. Looking down, he saw that she was wearing a golden phoenix necklace.

"Whoa..." the girl finally spoke. "You look just like-"

Aerrow was still shocked, "Yeah..." Then shaking his head, he remembered his manners. "Uh, sorry," he held out his hand again. "I'm Aerrow of the Storm Hawks."

"So you're the last descendant of the old Storm Hawks." the girl replied, shaking his hand. "I've heard a lot about you." She looked him up and down with an air of amusement, "Although, you're a little shorter than I pictured. Aren't you a little young to be a Sky Knight?"

Aerrow growled, he hated it when people doubted or teased him about being a Sky Knight because of his age. He was about to retort when he noticed the gleam of mischief within her eyes. He realized that she wasn't teasing him, she was joking with him.

"Look who's talking?" he teased, looking her up and down. "You're not exactly ten feet tall either. You look like you just graduated from the school of hard knocks." Aerrow gave the young girl a cocky smile and raised an eyebrow, trying to coax her into his joke.

The girl stared at him for a moment, her expression unreadable and Aerrow began to wonder if he had perhaps said the wrong thing. Then the girl smiled with a chuckle, her eyes glowing with laughter. "Finally, a Sky Knight with a sense of humor." she exclaimed. "I was beginning to think that all Sky Knights were a bunch of stiffs like the Rex Guardians."

"I hear that." Aerrow chuckled.

As if suddenly remembering her manors, she said, "Oh, my name's Solra." She clasped a hand over her heart, "Leader of the Fire Falcons and youngest Sky Knight in the Atmos. Well, _second_ youngest actually, with you being the first." She shrugged with a playful smile at Aerrow.

Aerrow returned her smile. He hardly knew Solra, but he immediately liked this teenage warrior.

An impatient yip came from the Sky Fox, still perched upon its Sky Knight's shoulder. It had its ears flattened and a paw on its hip, staring at Solra with a look that seemed to say: _'excuse me, but what about me?' _

"Oh, and you've already met Feroxx." Solra gave them an amused smile, jabbing a thumb up to the little creature.

Feroxx barked a greeting, holding her head and tail high.

"Is he you're pet?" Finn asked.

Solra suddenly grimaced, looking at him worriedly. Finn wondered if he had said something wrong, but before he could ask the next thing the sharpshooter knew, he was hit in the face with something squishy.

Beside him, Finn heard the others laughing. Wiping the juice from his eyes, he turned to his team mates. Aerrow stood with his arms crossed and a grin on his face while chuckling softly. Radarr was still perched on his Sky Knight's shoulder, chattering away like mad. Piper had covered her mouth to cover up her giggles she was trying to conceal. Junko was roaring with laughter. Even Stork looked very amused, snickering and giving the blonde a 'serves you right' look.

Finn glared at them, it wasn't that funny. Turning back to Feroxx, Finn saw the Sky Fox glaring at him with its ears flattened against its head, its neck fur was raised and it was growling. Clasped in one of its paws was a purplish-red berry. Finn wondered where on earth the Sky Fox had gotten it.

Still growling, it raised its arm to throw the berry.

"Feroxx." Solra scolded, glaring at the little creature through the corner of her eye.

Feroxx let out a low growl, reluctantly lowering the berry and continuing to glare at Finn.

"Sorry about that." Solra apologized, smiling sheepishly. "But you have to be careful with what you say around Feroxx."

Finn grumbled, "Like so I noticed." He wiped the purple juices now staining his face. "What did I say?"

"Well, for one thing," Solra said, holding up a finger. "Feroxx is a _she_ not a _he_. Secondly," she paused, eyeing the little critter on her shoulder. She leaned a little closer, shielding her mouth with her hand so Feroxx couldn't hear. "She's very proud and stubborn."

Solra's attempt to not let the Sky Fox hear proved useless as the little creature snorted in her Sky Knight's face, looking rather offended.

"Well, I didn't mean to offend you're pet rodent." Finn flicked a piece of berry off his cheek which proved pointless as he was hit in the face with another berry.

As the squashed berry fell to the floor, Finn turned his annoyed glare to Feroxx, who returned his glare and growled.

Solra frowned and shook her head at the blonde, unable to believe how clueless this boy was. "And another thing," she stated. "Don't call her a rodent." She scratched Feroxx on her nose, making the Sky Fox purr while giving each of them a hard stare, "And she's not my pet. She's my co-piolet."

"Really?" Aerrow smiled and he heard Radarr squawk with delight. He had never heard of any other Sky Knight besides himself to have an animal as a co-piolet. In fact, he didn't know of another Sky Knight having a co-piolet at all. Most other Sky Knight's thought that having an animal as a co-piolet was a rather childish idea, some were even glad to say that to his face. Others just thought of Radarr as Aerrow's pet and nothing more. Aerrow was delighted to meet someone else who thought otherwise.

"Radarr's my co-piolet too." He placed a hand over one of his furry companion's paws while Radarr nuzzled his cheek.

Solra smiled, staring at Radarr with an admiring eye. "That little cutie is you're co-piolet?" When Aerrow nodded, she grinned, "Seems like a good job for an animal as intelligent as a Sky Monkey."

"Sky Monkey!" Aerrow exclaimed.

Solra looked at him in surprise, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't you know what kind of animal he was?" she asked.

"No." Aerrow shook his head, "No one ever has." It was true. No one had ever known what species Radarr was. As a child, Aerrow had searched through nearly every nature book to find out exactly what Radarr was, but he had never found anything even resembling the little creature.

Piper stepped up to Aerrow's side, "None of us have ever known what Radarr is. To be honest, I always thought he was a lemur."

"Really?" Finn asked. He was still wiping berry juice from his face. "I thought he was some kind of freaky rabbit."

Radarr growled softly and gave the sharpshooter a look that seemed to say, _"Oh yeah, I really look like a rabbit."_

Junko ran his large fingers through his clump of silver hair, "I've always thought he was a dog."

"Well..." Stork twiddled with his thumbs, "I always thought that maybe he was a weasel. He looks more like a weasel than a monkey."

Radarr stuck out his tongue at the carrier piolet.

Solra laughed, "I'm really not that surprised you didn't know what he was. Sky Monkeys are incredibly rare, possibly the rarest creatures in the Atmos." She reached out a hand towards Radarr. Solra slowly traced her hand down the back of the blue creature's head to his long velvety ears, rubbing them gently. Radarr closed his eyes in bliss, purring like a kitten.

Radarr crawled over Aerrow's shoulder, across Solra's arm and onto her shoulder. He nuzzled her cheek, causing her to giggle as his fur tickled her. He hardly knew this girl, but he could tell that she was a good person. She got along with Aerrow, she liked him and, more importantly, she didn't call him a pet. Anyone who did that was definitely a friend.

Aerrow was amazed at how quickly his little co-piolet took to the female Sky Knight. Radarr was usually nervous around strangers and could become extremely aggressive if he felt that person was a danger to his squadron, like he had done with Master Cyclonis when she had disguised herself as Lark.

"You must be a really good person if Radarr likes you so much." Aerrow joked. "He doesn't usually take to strangers like that."

With a yip, Feroxx leaped from Solra's shoulder and onto Aerrow's, sniffing at his ear again.

"I've just always had a way with animals." Solra smiled, scratching Radarr under his chin. "And you must do too since Feroxx has taken such a liking to you."

Aerrow just returned her smile while rubbing Feroxx's ears.

Piper cleared her throat, drawing the two Sky Knights attention. "Aerrow, aren't you going to introduce us?" she asked.

"Oh, sorry." Aerrow mentally kicked himself, how on Atmos could he forget about his team. "Solra, Feroxx, I'd like you to meet my friends and squadron."

"This is Junko." Aerrow placed a hand on the Wallop's shoulder. "The Storm Hawks strongman, flight engineer and heavy ballistics expert."

Junko gave Solra a shy smile, "Um, hello."

Solra stared at him in awe, she had never seen a Wallop before. "Whoa, you're a Wallop." she said, walking up to him. "I've never met a Wallop before."

Since she was smaller than Junko, she stared up at him with an admiring eye, "Wow, you're a big fella." Solra stared at his large muscles and broad shoulders. "I bet the Cyclonians run a mile when they see a big powerful Wallop like you comin' along."

Junko's silver gray eyes wided in surprise. No one had ever thought of him that way before. Back on Terra Wallop he had been ridiculed because he was smaller and weaker than most other Wallops. Other people were intimidated by him as they believed that he was as fierce and bad tempered as all other Wallops.

Solra, however, didn't fear him at all and from the way she was staring at him, appeared to admire him. Junko's face turned a deep shade of red, ears dropping in embarrassment. Unsure of what to say, he held out his hand with a sheepish smile, "Uh...Thank you."

Shaking Junko's outstretched hand, Solra was taken aback. She had expected his grip to be almost bone-crushing, but although his shake was firm the Wallop's grip was surprisingly gentle.

Aerrow then pointed to the Merb at his side, "This is Stork, helmsmen and carrier piolet of the Condor."

As the green-skinned Storm Hawk approached, Solra held out a hand in greeting. But instead of shaking hands, Stork removed Radarr from her shoulder and placed him down then circled around her, looking her up and down as he observed her carefully.

Solra kept her gaze upon him, head turning as she followed his steps. As Stork continued circling, Solra turned to Aerrow with a questioning look. What on earth was this Merb doing?

Aerrow just smiled sheepishly, things always got awkward when introducing Stork.

Solra placed a hand on Stork's chest to stop him mid-circle. "Why are you circling me?" she asked, eyes narrowed. "You sure you're name's Stork and not Vulture or were you one in another life?"

Stork stepped back slightly, taken by surprise.

Aerrow stared at the female Sky Knight, completely surprised by her sudden change in attitude. Her friendly smile had turned into a fierce scowl and the mischievous gleam within her eyes had been replaced with an annoyed glare. He noticed that she was glaring at the Merb in a sidewards glance, turning the scarred side of her face to him, making her look somewhat more intimidating.

"Oh," Stork cleared his throat. "Sorry. I just have to make sure that everyone who comes aboard my ship is rash free, hive free, toe fungus free-" he explained, listing each disease down on a finger.

Feroxx jumped down from Aerrow's shoulder, scampering up onto Solra's as Stork continued to list down illnesses – half of which were probably non-exsistant.

"- flea free, lung beetle free and mind worm free." Stork finished, now listed every diesases on all his four fingers and three toes. He suddenly wrapped his long skinny arms around Solra and Feroxx, and pulled them close to his chest, looking around fearfully, "You can never be too careful. You never know what's gonna creep up on you."

Solra and Feroxx just stared at him with they're faces twisted in disbelief, quickly exchanging glances with each other then looking at Aerrow. Was this guy for real?

Aerrow just shrugged his shoulders, giving a nervous chuckle.

The female Sky Knight wriggled out of Stork's clutches. "You don't have to worry about Feroxx or me having any diseases, Stork." she assured him. "I'm a fully trained Medical Officer. And Feroxx is my assistant." Solra folded her arms and squared her shoulders with pride.

Feroxx also held her head and tail high with pride.

This news was a great comfort to Stork, who smiled with a relieved sigh.

While the girl and Merb shared a smile, Finn was suddenly at Solra's side, "So you're into medicine and stuff?" he said, inspecting his nails while trying to play it cool.

Feroxx growled softly while Solra just cocked an eyebrow.

"How awesome." Finn flashed her a smile and did his signature pistol fingers move.

"And that," Aerrow said, pointing at the blonde with an amused smile. "Would be Finn. My wingman, marksman and sharpshooter."

Finn responded by doing is pistol move again with a, "Chica-cha!"

Solra exchanged a look with Feroxx. Aerrow noticed the gleam of mischief within they're eyes as they smiled while looking at Finn.

"So..." she drew out, slowly beginning to circle the blonde. "You're the sharp-eyed Finn that Starling keeps talking about?"

Finn blinked in surprise. Starling of the Interceptors, one of the most respected Sky Knights in the Atmos and close ally of the Storm Hawks had been talking about him? "Starling! Really?"

"Oh, yes." Solra batted her eyelashes and swayed her hips as Finn followed her gaze. "She talks a great deal about you. Even more so than you're Sky Knight."

"Seriously?" Finn glanced nervously at Aerrow, who in turn looked at Piper. Was Solra flirting with Finn?

When Solra nodded and stood at his side with her hands clasped behind her back he asked, "What does she say about me?"

"Oh, only that you're kind, funny, handsome and loyal." Finn's face flushed a light pink as Solra raised a hand to stroke him under the chin while she reeled off what Starling had said about him.

Solra's sudusive smile suddenly turned into a sly grin, "She also stated that you were a dim-witted, wannabe ladies man who's singing could give the Cyclonians a run for their money."

Finn frowned, narrowing his eyes at the insult and the others laughter. Starling had obviously told Solra about how they had stopped Ravess' when she had tried to attack airships at Polaris Point.

Solra then playfully pinged his nose and Feroxx slapped him on the back of his head with her tail. Rubbing his nose, Finn glared at the female Sky Knight as she walked towards Aerrow and Piper. The embarrassed pink shade on Finn's cheeks turned to a burning red with anger. He'd get Solra for this, big time!

As the female Sky Knight approached Aerrow placed a hand on Piper's shoulder, "And last, but not least," he said, looking at the dark-skinned girl with a fond smile as she returned his smile. "This is Piper. She's the-"

"Specialist of the Storm Hawks." Solra indicated, holding up a hand to stop Aerrow from talking. "You're the first officer, navigator and a gifted crystal mage. I also heard that you took on the Master herself and kicked her butt!" She added with a grin.

Feroxx leaped into the air, pulling a few sky fu moves and squeaking with excitement. Landing back on her girl's shoulder, she leaped onto Piper's shoulders and nuzzled her cheek as if to show her approval.

Piper laughed, both from the co-piolet's silly antics and the tickling of her fur.

"All in all you have quite an expectation." Solra held out a hand to Piper.

Piper herself was a little speechless. She didn't realise that she was so well known amongst the Sky Knight community. "Well, thank you." she said, shaking Solra's hand. "I never knew I had any fans."

Solra looked at Piper as if she had grown an extra head, "Are you kidding? You're about as legendary as Aerrow." she said, jabbing a thumb towards the red head. "You put even Zelda the warrior princess to shame."

Aerrow snickered slightly at Piper's face. Her golden-orange eyes were wide, her mouth was agape and there was a red tone to her cheeks. "Piper, a Scorpian Fly will make a nest in you're mouth if you keep it open like that." he joked.

Piper immediately clamped her mouth shut, looking a little embarrassed.

Solra and Feroxx giggled. Piper joined in the giggles while smiling nervously and rubbing her arm, her cheeks redder than before.

"But I have one little question." Solra stated, holding up a finger.

"What's that?" Piper asked.

"If you're as intelligent and gifted as they say," a sly smile played on Solra's lips. "How come he's got you're job?" She nodded her head at Aerrow.

The male Sky Knight looked speechless and down-right insulted, narrowing his eyes and pouting with redened cheeks. His expression caused everyone to laugh.

Looking at everyone laughing, Aerrow couldn't help but let out a small smile. As his gaze met Solra's glowing eyes, deep down he felt as if he had just made a life-long friend.


End file.
